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Ge.ch > Thèmes > Citoyenneté > Votations - Elections > Votations > E-Voting > FAQ

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

1. Political rights
2. Organisation of polling
3. Internet voting
4. Online voting is so simple
5. Frequent problems
6. Checking the voting site certificate
7. I have voted but I would still like to know...
8. Data protection
9. I would also like to know

5. Frequent problems

I get an error message when I try to connect to the voting site

Have you entered the "s" that follows "http" ("httpS") in the voting site address?

I cannot display the identification page

Have you activated Java and JavaScript in your browser preferences? If you are using Ubuntu, you have to install Java Sun. Here is an installation guide (in French).

I am getting error messages/The pages are not displayed correctly

You are probably using a configuration (operating system/internet browser) for which our voting site is not optimised. If you can, restart the procedure with one of these configurations.

A message informs me that the voting session has expired

Two possibilities: you have exceeded the time allocated for the voting transaction and you have been disconnected from the system or you have used your browser commands instead of the commands integrated in the application. Restart the procedure from the beginning using only the commands integrated in the voting application.

I cannot find my municipality of origin in the pull-down list

Your municipality should be shown on the back of your identity card. If it is not, contact our helpdesk (ael-assistance@etat.ge.ch or +41 (0) 840 235 235, from Monday to Friday, from 8am to 6pm Swiss time). Note: after five unsuccessful authentication attempts, your voting card will be blocked and you will have to vote by post or at the polling station.

What can I do to improve the security of my computer?

To maximise the security of the voting transaction, we advise you to launch your browser just before you vote. If you have visited other websites before voting, your computer may have malicious code in its memory. These could be executed when you leave the page you were surfing to go to the voting page.

Do not put the voting page in "favourites", but enter it manually. This ensures that you are entering this site rather than any other.

Empty your browser's cache after voting to keep your vote secret.

The "Preferences" or "Options" menu can also be used to configure your browser to increase security. This menu enables you to manage cookies, history, etc.

What does a firewall do?

A firewall is a software program that controls traffic entering and leaving your computer. It warns you of any irregular activity and allows you to block it.

What does antivirus software do?

Antivirus software detects computer viruses that could try to infect your computer. The antivirus software of our voting site is regularly updated and, in principle, this site cannot transfer a virus to you. However, since a network is only as safe as its weakest link, we advise you to install antivirus software on your computer and to activate the automatic update function.

What does antispyware do?

Spyware are programs installed on your computer without your consent. Some invisibly transfer data to a third party, others run programs on your computer and can slow it down considerably. You can go one step further in making your computer secure by installing antispyware software.

What is SSL protocol?

SSL protocol is an algorithm that encrypts data during its transfer on the internet. This protocol relies on the use of a digital certificate, which guarantees the confidentiality and integrity of information exchanged. You can check that a secure connection is being used by looking for the closed padlock displayed on your browser. Web pages secured in this way have an address that begins with https instead of the usual http.

We have increased security still further by implementing a Java applet to reinforce the SSL encryption.

What is a digital certificate?

A digital certificate can be compared to a person's identity card. It is provided by a trusted third party and guarantees the authenticity of the website that uses it. In order to ensure that you are really on the official voting site, check that the digital signature of the digital certificate associated with the site corresponds to the information printed on your voting card.

Furthermore, the digital certificate is integrated into the encoding system for communication between your PC and the voting server. It is a PKI (Public Key Infrastructure) type technical architecture.

Last updated: January 2012